HUSKYHOMES
HUSKYHOMES
A portal to facilitate the house-hunting process for all International Students at Northeastern University.
A portal to facilitate the house-hunting process for all International Students at Northeastern University.
A portal to facilitate the house-hunting process for all International Students at Northeastern University.
Tools
Miro
Miro
Figma
Figma
Figjam
Figjam
team
Nikethana N N
Nikethana N N
Panth Shah
Panth Shah
my role
UX Research
UX Research
Wireframing
Wireframing
UI Screens
UI Screens
Prototyping
Prototyping
duration
Overall: 6.5 weeks
Overall: 6.5 weeks
Discovery & Research: 2 weeks
Discovery & Research:
2 weeks
Design: 2 weeks
Design: 2 weeks
Testing: 2.5 weeks
Testing: 2.5 weeks
Being a student is hard enough.., if you're an International Student, you have plenty to take care of!
Being a student is hard enough.., if you're an International Student, you have plenty to take care of!
Find good neighborhood
Find good neighborhood
Connect with alumnis
Connect with alumnis
Contact trusted brokers
Contact trusted brokers
Deal with uncertainty
Deal with uncertainty
Figure out payment methods
Figure out payment methods
"A problem well-stated is a problem half solved."
"A problem well-stated is a problem half solved."
"A problem well-stated is a problem half solved."
Problem Statement
International students at Northeastern University lack an efficient and user-friendly online portal for house-hunting, leading to difficulty in finding suitable accommodations
Alright, now what was our goal?
Alright, now what was our goal?
Alright, now what was our goal?
Our goal
A one-stop solution for international students, offering rental properties, transportation options, messaging with students/brokers, a housing resource directory, and information on nearby areas.
The aim is to make the housing search easier and help students settle in with informed decisions.
FEATURES
Here are some key features of the app,
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
Find a housing suitable to you
Discover ideal housing with HuskyHomes - no compromises on amenities! Enjoy a stress-free experience, dealing directly with management and finding nearby transport options.
NETWORK WITH ALUMNI
Networking with alumni offers valuable industry insights, guidance, and job opportunities, providing a competitive advantage in the job search.
JOIN NEU COMMUNITY
Communities offer resources, mentoring, and career opportunities, fostering a sense of belonging and support for students during their university journey.
HOLD & QUEUE
This system keeps students informed about house listings, preventing uncertainty and ensuring fair opportunities by allowing each student to place a 72-hour hold on a house.
User Interviews
We conducted initial research to gather quantitative data and determine the extent of the problem. The results confirmed that a significant number of people face similar housing challenges, providing validation for the size of the user base and the need for a solution.
List of questions we asked were,
Was it difficult to find housing near the University?
What were the primary issues you face while looking for housing?
Did you have anyone in the states to check out your housing place?
What do you think could have helped you find good housing
How satisfied are you with the list of resources currently available for international students?
Any other resources you think would be useful in the future?
THE RESEARCH PART
THE RESEARCH PART
Let's look at some stats,
Let's look at some stats,
fig. What students think that could've helped them
fig. What students think that could've helped them
fig. Primary Issues faced during house-hunting
fig. Primary Issues faced during house-hunting
fig. Primary Issues faced during house-hunting
fig. What students think that could've helped them
USER PERSONA
By analyzing the results of our interviews, we developed personas that give us a better understanding of our target users and what they aim to achieve. This enables us to have a clear and focused view of our audience's needs and desires.
By analyzing the results of our interviews, we developed personas that give us a better understanding of our target users and what they aim to achieve. This enables us to have a clear and focused view of our audience's needs and desires.
USER JOURNEY MAPPING
USER JOURNEY MAPPING
USER JOURNEY MAPPING
Why?
Why?
Why?
Fosters team alignment by creating a shared vision and overcoming fragmented understanding, driving agreement on customer experience improvements.
Fosters team alignment by creating a shared vision and overcoming fragmented understanding, driving agreement on customer experience improvements.
Serves as a powerful communication tool, ensuring a memorable and concise understanding of users or services, enabling better decision-making for the team.
Serves as a powerful communication tool, ensuring a memorable and concise understanding of users or services, enabling better decision-making for the team.
HANDSKETCHES
Hand sketches in UX design enable rapid ideation, enhanced collaboration, and user-centered concepts, fostering creativity and cost-effective testing during the early stages of a project. They complement digital tools, providing a tangible and empathetic approach, fostering an iterative design process and inclusive ideation.
Hand sketches in UX design enable rapid ideation, enhanced collaboration, and user-centered concepts, fostering creativity and cost-effective testing during the early stages of a project. They complement digital tools, providing a tangible and empathetic approach, fostering an iterative design process and inclusive ideation.
Alright now, *crackity-crack*
Time for some finished prototypes!
(Part 1)
Alright now, *crackity-crack*
Time for some finished prototypes! (Part 1)
Alright now, *crackity-crack*
Time for some finished prototypes! (Part 1)
It was…alright…well..
It sucked.
It was…alright…well..
It sucked.
Hide the pain, Harold.
Hide the pain, Harold.
Let's look at the revamped designs, shall we?
Let's look at the revamped designs, shall we?
It was…alright…well..
It sucked.
Let's look at the revamped designs, shall we?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Learnt that teamwork is like assembling IKEA furniture together - a mix of laughter, frustration, and the hope that it won't collapse in the end
There's always room for improvement, but don't dwell on it
Taking a step back to analyze how far you've come, helps in the long run
Learnt that teamwork is like assembling IKEA furniture together - a mix of laughter, frustration, and the hope that it won't collapse in the end
There's always room for improvement, but don't dwell on it
Taking a step back to analyze how far you've come, helps in the long run